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Valid for all IONOS WordPress plans.
One of the advantages of WordPress is the separation of design and content, allowing you to change the appearance (theme) of your website at any time without having to customize all the text content. This article explains how to customize your WordPress theme.
Customise WordPress theme manually
Before making changes to your WordPress website, you must login to the WP Admin dashboard:
- Log in to your IONOS account.
- Click Menu > Websites & Stores in the title bar.
- Click on the Manage website button of the desired WordPress installation.
- Click Edit website.
An alternative login method is to add /wp-admin to your WordPress URL.
Example: https://www.example.com/wp-admin
Change WordPress theme
- Click on Appearance in the left-hand menu of the WordPress administration. Further sub-items are displayed.
- Select Themes. An overview page with existing themes is displayed and the active theme is labeled.
- Optional: You can obtain additional themes via the Add Theme button.
- Move the mouse pointer over a theme tile. Additional buttons are displayed.
- Complete the theme change with Activate on the corresponding theme tile.
Customise WordPress theme details
- Click on Appearance in the left-hand menu of the WordPress administration. Further sub-items are displayed.
- Select Customize. A preview of your website is displayed together with a settings menu.
- Customize everything as desired. Your changes are immediately displayed in the preview.
- Apply the change by clicking on the Publish button in the top left-hand corner.
Please note that some themes have a separate area for further customization. This description refers to the basic functionalities of WordPress.
Global settings
You can make further general adjustments to your WordPress installation in the left-hand menu of the WordPress administration under Settings. In addition to settings for the general behavior of your website, such as the standard size of graphics or the display of discussion posts, you will find configuration options for various plugins here.
Integrate content
You can add design elements for your website, such as graphics, videos, or animations, in the WordPress administration via the Media menu item. Use Add Media File to integrate the element into your media library, where it can be integrated when creating pages and posts.
Create user menus
Menus help you structure your website and guide your visitors efficiently through your offerings. Typical menu items include, for example, Shop, About Us, or Legal Notice.
- Click on Appearance > Menus in the left-hand menu of the WordPress administration.
- Assign an internal name for your menu structure in the Menu Name field.
- Add pages, posts, links, or categories as a target for the respective menu entry via the Add menu items data group.
- Configure the added menu item by displaying the details of the entry with the triangle symbol.
- Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you have created your complete menu.
- In the Menu Settings area directly below the menu you have created, select the location in the theme. Please note that the options displayed may differ from one theme to another.
- Finish your entry using the Save Menu button.
Please note that some themes offer their own solutions for menu structures. This description refers to the basic functionalities of WordPress.